Japan Utility Admits It Was Unprepared for Nuclear Disaster

STR/AFP/Getty Images(TOKYO) -- Fifteen months after Japan’s worst nuclear disaster, the company at the center of it all now says it wasn’t prepared.

In its final report, TEPCO Vice President Masao Yamazaki applauded his employees’ efforts, saying they did their best under such harsh circumstances. The utility company concluded it took appropriate actions in the midst of Japan’s worst natural disaster -- a powerful earthquake and tsunami -- that triggered three meltdowns at the Fukushima plant.

But TEPCO also acknowledged they were too slow to act, failing to quickly disclose important radiation information to the public. The report said power outages limited the amount of data available and that TEPCO did not deliberately withhold data to downplay the situation.

The lengthy investigation offered few answers about the cause of the meltdowns, the radiation fallout, and where the toxic substance was released -- few concrete answers that could help avoid a similar disaster.